


Underneath the Mistletoe

by debbieocean



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Mistletoe, Practice Kissing, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-09-12 01:04:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16863325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/debbieocean/pseuds/debbieocean
Summary: Ever since they met on their first day of high school, Karolina has been hopelessly pining after her best friend. She never thought she would get a real chance, that is until Nico asked her to spend a holiday weekend pretending to be her girlfriend to help her deal with her annoying parents and a cheating ex-boyfriend. How could she possibly say no?





	1. thursday.

**Author's Note:**

> A little Deanoru fluff, to get us through the holidays!♥

Karolina is in the middle of finishing the last bit of homework she still has left this semester, when she hears her phone buzzing. Her face immediately lights up when she sees her best friend's name. It's a text message.

**Nico:** _Hi. Please call me asap, it's urgent._

Karolina frowns and dials her number right away. Homework can wait.

"Hey, I got your text. Is everything okay?" She asks carefully.

"Hi. Umm, kind of? I may have done something stupid and impulsive and I'll totally understand if you get mad at me... but I could really use your help."

She relaxes a little. "You know you can tell me anything. Whatever it is, we'll work it out. Together."

Nico continues in a calmer tone. "Remember that holiday spa retreat my mom wanted us to go to?"

"Uh-huh?"

"Well, today she told me she invited Alex and his parents to come with us as well. She said it would be a great opportunity for our families to grow closer. That's not even the worst part, though. Alex is bringing his new girlfriend!"

"The one he cheated with?" Karolina can't believe what she's hearing.

"That's the one. We're all supposed to pretend we're a big happy family." Nico is visibly upset again.

"Nico, that's awful. I'm so sorry." She genuinely feels bad for her friend. She still can't believe Alex let someone so amazing and beautiful go. Then she remembers another thing.

"Wait... you said you did something stupid? And needed my help?"

"Yes. About that." She hears Nico take a deep breath. "I freaked out and felt so frustrated with this whole situation that I told them you and I were dating and then I asked them if you could come with us. To the retreat. This Friday. As in tomorrow."

Karolina can feel her heart skip a beat.

"I know it's super unfair to you, I'm sure you have your own plans with your family and I really don't want to impose like this. It's just that... My parents have been fighting more than usual lately, my mom thinks my dad's having an affair and she's been taking it all out on me. And now this Alex stuff... I didn't want to be alone. I know it's sudden, but it would mean the world to me if you could come."

Oh, boy. Karolina can definitely relate to that. She just needs to know one thing before she decides to help her friend, even though that means getting a taste of something she will probably never have.

"Are you still in love with him?"

"Alex?"

"Mhmmm." Duh.

"No." Nico answers quickly. "It's been months. Besides, I don't think I was ever _in love_ with him in the first place. It was just one of those things where we had to give it a go, you know? Or else we would always wonder. I just wish he had talked to me before he decided to pursue someone else. Now we both find ourselves in a shitty situation. And... a part of me doesn't want to seem like a pathetic loser watching her ex show off his new girlfriend while simultaneously dealing with mom and dad pretending their marriage hasn't been falling apart ever since Amy died."

Karolina feels a little bit bad for bringing it all up, but she needed to know what to expect. She couldn't spend the entire weekend watching Nico pine after Alex.

"Okay. I'll do it."

"You will?!" Karolina can sense Nico's already in a better mood. And really, how could she ever say no to that voice.

"Hell yes. I'll be the best fake girlfriend you've ever had." She says, and the fake part stings only a little. "I do have to ask my dad first. But don't worry, he'll probably say yes. Luckily my mom's still on that trip with Jonah."

"Thank you, Karrie. You're the best! I've already told them we've only been together for a month, so no pressure to live up to some crazy expectations. We'll probably just have to kiss a couple of times. Other than that, I think best strategy is to go with the flow and act naturally. You can consider it a free vacation."

Karolina can barely breathe, just thinking about having to fake kiss Nico. _But kiss her nonetheless._ What did she getting herself into?

"Don't forget to bring your bikinis, I want to spend as little time as possible around my parents and Alex and they really want to go skiing, so we'll probably just hang out at the pool and in the jacuzzi." 

"How about I text you once I've talked about it with my dad and then you can come over and help me pack? And we can discuss all the details?" Karolina's trying not to sound as eager as she feels.

"That sounds amazing. Thank you again. Love you, bye."

Love you too, she thinks to say, but Nico's already hung up. Hanging out with Nico. In a jacuzzi. Possibly having to kiss her under a mistletoe. She is  _not_ freaking out.

(Maybe just a little.)

 

❄ ❄ ❄

 

"Thank god you managed to convince your father to let you come with us. I don't know how I would've survived this weekend on my own." Nico's looking far too comfortable sitting on Karolina's bed, picking out which shoes she should pack.

"You know my dad's a softie. I'm glad I can help, but you would have managed on your own just fine. You're one of the strongest people I know, Nico." She really means it.

Nico looks genuinely touched by her words and gives Karolina a bashful smile and she could swear (with no exaggeration whatsoever) that it makes butterflies flutter in her stomach. Damn Nico and her beautiful smile.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" She thinks to change the subject before she gets ever mushier on the inside.

"We get there, act all lovey-dovey, ignore everyone, eat a lot of hot chocolate, spend time at the spa and then we go home on Sunday. Try to have a good time, I guess? Then once we get back we can keep the lie up for a little while and later tell them we had a fight. We'll think of something."

"Listen," Nico starts again. "I really appreciate what you're doing for me but I know I'm not the best company right now. I can get out of your way once they go skiing or whatever and you might meet a girl you actually like. I want you to have fun this weekend, all things aside."

Karolina shakes her head in disbelief. "There's no one I would rather spend time with. No one." 

Their eyes connect for an intense moment and then Karolina clears her throat and tries zipping up her suitcase.

"Here." Nico holds her hand. "Together."

"Listen..." They both start at the same time.

Karolina laughs. "It's okay. You go first."

"I wanted to talk to you about the kissing part."

She feels her heart beating faster in her chest. "What about it?"

"I was thinking we should try it out?" Nico suggests tentatively. "Maybe right now? Just so that we're not awkward with each other once we're in front of an audience."

"We can do that." Karolina is very much freaking out on the inside, but she thanks her lucky stars that her voice remains nonchalant. 

Her friend moves closer, leaning on the bed and gently cups her left cheek with her hand, curling the fingers of her right hand at the back of Karolina's neck.

"Karrie... please tell me if it feels too weird, you can still change your mind, I promise."

"Just kiss me."

Nico needs no further encouragement. She finally closes the remaining distance between them, pressing her lips against Karolina's.

Karolina closes her eyes and leans into the kiss. The lips she daydreamed about so many times are as soft as they look and Nico kisses her so sweetly, for a moment she forgets it's all pretend. It's magical. Her entire body is buzzing and she can't help herself, she wraps an arm around Nico's waist and pulls her even closer.

Once she pulls away they look at each other, until she notices her friend glancing down at her lips. 

Karolina wants this to be real. All of it. Badly.

"That was..."

"Great. I mean, it was a good first pretend kiss." Karolina quickly corrects herself.

"Yeah." Nico smiles. "Do you think they'll buy it?"

"Of course they will. We make a great fake couple, don't worry about it."

She just nods absentmindedly. 

"I should probably head home. It's almost 9pm and I have to finish my own packing."

She gives Karolina a quick hug and opens the bedroom door. "I'll see you in the morning?"

"See you then." She doesn't even try to hide the giddiness in her voice.


	2. friday.

"Whoa. I know your parents can afford it, but is all this really necessary?" Karolina whispers in Nico's ear as they enter the hotel lobby.

Nico just shrugs. "Probably not. But who cares. As I said, try to enjoy yourself."

She firmly grabs her hand, dragging her towards the reception. Karolina internally curses her fair complexion as she can already feel herself blushing when she sees Nico's mom approaching them. At least they'll be believable.

"Here's the key to your room. It's on the same floor as ours, just down the hall. The staff already took care of our luggage. You girls can go unpack and take a shower, get ready. We're all having dinner in a couple of hours." Tina gives them a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes and then she's gone.

Nico takes the key and turns around so no one can see her rolling her eyes. "C'mon, Karrie. Let's go check out our room." 

 

❄ ❄ ❄

 

Karolina's first impression of the room is that it's way bigger than she expected. Practically a suite. She immediately addresses the elephant in the room that's been bugging her.

"So... there's only one bed." She mumbles. "Did your mom just assume we would sleep together?"

"I guess so. It was kind of a last minute arrangement, remember?"

That makes sense.

"I can take the couch, if you want." She offers helpfully.

Nico shakes her head. "Don't be silly. We've shared a bed plenty of times."

Karolina doesn't know whether she should be excited or worried. What if she does something stupid in her sleep and gives herself away? That would be embarrassing. She's here to be there for Nico, not bring up her own feelings.

"Have you talked to Alex?"

"Nope. He tried saying hi this morning and I kind of shut him down." She sighs. "How crazy is it that I actually feel bad about it? He's the one who hurt me and here I am, feeling like the bad guy."

Karolina considers this for a moment. "Don't you think you should maybe give him a chance to explain himself? Tell him how you feel? It's the only way you guys will be able to move on. It's not like you can ignore him forever, all of our parents are still friends. We're bound to keep seeing each other."

"You're right. I'm just... not ready."

Comfortable silence settles between them.

Karolina hums thoughtfully. "What do you say you go take a shower first, clear your head, and I'll unpack? Then we can get ready for dinner together. I can straighten your hair. Also, I want to show you the new lipstick I bought the other day, it smells like berries. I think you're going to like it."

Nico gives her one of those big, charming smiles that have her so smitten. "Fine. I'll be right back."

 

❄ ❄ ❄

 

"I have to admit I was more than a little surprised when Nico told us the two of you were an item." Tina starts with no warning and Karolina's taken aback by the comment, even though she knows she should have seen this coming. She looks at Nico next to her, who is just eyeing her mother cautiously. "How did you decide you were suddenly in love?"

This question clearly annoys Nico. 

"We didn't suddenly _decide_ anything. We've known each other for a while and gradually we realized we like each other as more than just friends. Simple as that."

 _If only that was the truth._ Karolina puts down her fork to drink some water. The dinner has been going so well until now. And by well, she means everyone's been ignoring the awkwardness of this whole situation and Nico's parents have been pretending to be happy and in love. At least Liz and Alex, as well as his parents, are being good sports. 

"Hmm. Isn't that what you said about-"

"Well, I wasn't surprised." Robert interrupts his wife and Karolina could hug him. "I could always see the romantic tension between you two. I'm glad you decided to act on it." He gives them an encouraging smile.

"What do you say we move over to the bar, have a couple of drinks?"

Karolina nudges her friend. "You did promise me hot chocolate."

And deliver her promise she did. The hot chocolate they are having is so delicious, Karolina's already on her third cup.

"Hey, slow down. I know it's good but I think you're going a little overboard." Nico jokes.

"Are you saying I could overdose on sugar?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying." She is staring at her face now.

"You've got some chocolate on your nose." Nico scoots closer to her and wipes it off.

"Better?" She says as she tucks a strand of hair behind Karolina's ear, both giggling.

They get distracted by Nico's dad. "Would you look at that. Mistletoe." He smiles, and when they look up, sure enough, there it is. Karolina already knows she's blushing furiously. What she's surprised to see, is that Nico's seemingly just as embarrassed. She gives her a _you don't have to do this_ look, and Karolina tries to communicate back. _I know. But I want to._

This time, it's Karolina who moves one of her hands to the side of Nico's face and draws her in closer. She is half-expecting a quick peck, like the one they shared in her bedroom and it does start off slow and a little tentative. Then Nico pulls away for just moment, their foreheads resting against each other, and whispers, "you taste like chocolate" and then she's diving in again, running her fingers through her hair and parting her lips to slip her tongue inside Karolina's mouth. She almost melts against her, willing and wanting. Nico keeps deepening the kiss until it turns almost heated and Karolina has to swallow the moan she's been dying to let out.

Tina finally interrupts them by clearing her throat. "Romantic as the mistletoe is, I think you should continue that later, in private."

They pull back and Karolina licks her lips, feeling so dazed from the kiss she can't think straight for a moment. She sees Nico's eyes follow the movement. Well, if all of this ends badly and they get caught, it was well worth it for that one kiss.

She knows it's going to hurt like hell once this weekend is over and they go back to being just platonic gal pals on Monday, but right now, sitting at the bar, holding Nico's hand and waiting for the waiter to bring them another cup of hot chocolate, she finds that she doesn't care. Maybe she _is_ high on sugar.

Sadly, the good mood her friend was apparently in, lasts only about twenty minutes, or, to be precise, until the moment Liz convinces the hotel DJ to put on some Christmas music they can dance to. She notices Nico still looking sadly in their direction as Liz drags Alex to the dance floor.

Karolina tries to comfort her, but she just feels her stiffen. "It doesn't matter. I'm fine."

She nods. "It's okay if you're not."

She lets her mope for ten more minutes, before deciding to be bold and take matters into her own hands, thus getting up, offering her hand.

"What are you doing?" Nico sounds genuinely curious.

"I'm asking my girlfriend for a dance. And I am not taking a no for an answer." She's hoping she sounds more convincing than she feels. "Come on. You can't turn me _and_ Mariah down."

Nico finally caves in and joins her with a smile. "I didn't know you were such a dork." 

"And whose fault is that?" Karolina snarks back at her.

They get lost in the crowd, swaying to the rhythm of _Last Christmas_  and Karolina is pleased to find she managed to cheer her (fake) girlfriend up a little, and that, at least as far as she can tell, Nico forgot all about Alex and Liz. They really do look happy together.

She can't help but hope that this Christmas, Nico will find someone special she can trust her heart with. And for a moment it's easy to pretend that that someone, could be Karolina.

 

❄ ❄ ❄

 

"Hey, you wanna watch _Love Actually_ before bed?" Nico shouts from the bathroom, she seems to be brushing her teeth.

"Love Actually, huh. And here I thought I was the sappy one in this relationship."

"Shut up," she says teasingly. "I'm not ready to fall asleep just yet and I love that movie."

"Sure. I have to admit, I am a sucker for blonde Keira Knightley myself. Let me make us some tea and we can lay in bed and watch?" Truth be told she's feeling pretty exhausted.

"Sounds great." She can hear Nico smiling.

They're only an hour into the movie, but Karolina can already feel herself dozing off, head resting on Nico's shoulder.

"Hey, Karrie?" Nico says quietly.

"Hmmm?"

"Thank you for today. And a couple other days. Thank you for always being there for me."

"Of course."

Karolina falls asleep with a content smile on her face in approximately five minutes, and if her arms end up curled around Nico's waist while they're passed out, well, that's completely out of her control.


	3. saturday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the late update, I've been incredibly busy. I've already managed to write the entire fic tho, so it won't be left unfinished, it just needs some editing and I'll probably have it up by the end of the month! Huge shoutout to everyone who has been leaving me positive feedback, I hope you enjoy this chapter and happy holidays.♥

Something feels strange when she wakes up that morning. Karolina's first instinct is to roll out of bed, but she notices firm hands holding her in place. At first she starts panicking, but then she recognizes Nico's familiar scent. It all comes back at once. They're pretending to be in a relationship. They're sleeping in the same bed. Nico is _spooning_ her. This is a lot to process. She tries to control her movements and stop herself from freaking out and waking up her friend. She likes their current position, Nico's body warm and cuddly next to hers.

At one point Nico moves even closer and starts softly brushing against Karolina's neck, tickling her. Karolina can pinpoint the moment she starts waking up and the bashful look on her face is the most adorable thing she has ever seen.

(She might be a little biased.)

"Hi." Nico mumbles, slowly detangling herself from Karolina.

"Good morning, girlfriend. Did you sleep well?" She can't help but mourn the loss of contact.

"Really well, actually. I have to admit movie night helped. We have to do that again."

Karolina hums. "How about tonight? I get to pick this time. What's the plan for today, anyway?" 

"Fine." Nico rolls her eyes jokingly. "We just have to get through breakfast, and then everyone's going skiing so we can hang out at the bar or at the pool, whatever you want."

"Swimming first, bar later. I was promised a jacuzzi bath." She teases.

"Sounds like a plan."

 

❄ ❄ ❄

 

Karolina is in the middle of getting ready and putting on her swimsuit, when she hears someone knocking on the door.

"I'll get it." Nico offers quickly.

Everything is quiet for a couple of minutes and then she hears her friend addressing Alex, sounding upset.

Shit, what does he want. She hopes he doesn't ruin Nico's good mood.

Karolina tries not to eavesdrop, but she can't help but overhear their conversation from where she's standing in the bathroom.

"What do you want?" 

"I just came to see if we could talk. Fix things between us. This awkwardness is killing me." To his credit, Alex sounds sincere.

Nico huffs. "Maybe you should have thought about that before you decided to stick your tongue down someone else's throat while we were still together. I'm not interested in having this conversation and let you humiliate me further."

She tries to close the door, but Alex stops her. "Hey. Just hear me out. If you still want to kick me out afterwards, I'll totally understand and leave immediately."

"Hurry up."

"The way Liz and I got together," he starts tentatively, "it was wrong. It never should have happened. It was a moment of weakness, we got swept up in the moment and... well, you know the rest. You know I told you immediately. But I need you to know one thing, I never, in a million years meant to hurt you."

"Right."

"No, look at me. I mean it. I love you so much. But something wasn't quite right about our relationship. Maybe we just weren't a good romantic fit. I think you can see it as well, now that you're with Karolina."

Nico remains silent.

"You never looked at me the way you look at her. I'm not trying to excuse myself, I screwed up and I'm owning up to it. I wish things had happened differently. But maybe... maybe it all worked out in the end. Maybe we're with the people we're supposed to be with. I miss you, Nico. I hope you can forgive me someday."

Karolina can hear him open the door once again.

"Wait," Nico whispers. "I forgive you."

"What? You don't have to if you're not ready, I didn't mean to guilt trip you into anything..."

"Shut up, Wilder." She is smiling now. "I forgive you for me. Because I'm tired of being angry and holding on to the past. I am ready to move on." She pauses. "I don't know if we can ever be friends again, like we used to be. But maybe we can be different."

"Nothing would make me more happy. Should we hug it out?"

"Don't push your luck. One step at a time." Her tone is noticeably lighter now.

"Sure. Whatever you say. Thank you."

"Whatever. I'll see you at dinner."

"Right. I have to get going or they'll leave without me. Have fun."

"You too."

Karolina steps out of the bathroom when she hears him leave, feeling a little guilty for witnessing that conversation.

"Did you hear that?" Nico asks, but she doesn't sound mad.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, I couldn't help it."

"It's okay. I dragged you all the way out here, it's only fair you know what's going on."

"How do you feel?"

"Okay. Better. He's right, you know. Our relationship wasn't right. I wish it had happened differently, but I'm ready to put that resentment behind me. He seems happy." She is nodding now, more to herself.

Karolina has to stop herself from stepping forward, and giving her a bear hug. 

"You ready to go?"

She does really look forward to going for a swim.

 

❄ ❄ ❄

 

"I thought you said the water would warm me up." Karolina complains, freezing.

Nico's laughing next to her. "I don't know what you're talking about. We're at a _spa_. Of course the water is warm and enjoyable." She dives back in.

"Maybe _you_ are enjoying yourself, I, however am gonna freeze to death if I stay here one more second. I'll wait for you in the jacuzzi." 

Nico joins her in about fifteen minutes, and Karolina can't stop herself from checking her out. God, she's beautiful with her hair all wet and a big, dorky smile on her face. 

"You don't know what you missed."

"I think I'll live. Besides, this water massage is doing wonders for my back." She almost fell asleep from how peaceful and satisfying it felt.

"Oh, is that so?"

Nico slides next to her with a wicked smile on her face. Before she realizes what's happening, her friend's already splashing her all over her face. 

"You are so going to regret this."

They start a water battle that ends a few minutes later with both of them laying down next to each other, exhausted and giggling.

"That was fun."

Nico looks her in the eye, and then down at her lips, tucking a wild strand of hair behind her ear, caressing her cheek with her thumb like she might kiss her again. Karolina forgets how to breathe. They're all alone here, there's no reason for Nico to kiss her, _unless_... unless she wants to. 

The moment is broken when she moves away, sitting down and clearly enjoying the water vibrations. Karolina tells herself she probably misread the situation.

"You were right. This isn't half bad. Plus all the Christmas decorations make it that much better. I can really appreciate them more now. Still not looking forward to dinner with my parents, though."

"Hmm, why is that?" Karolina asks.

"They've been acting weird this morning. I think they're fighting again. My dad is probably cheating and my mom is secretive, and... I don't know, I'm just tired."

Karolina considers this. "You know none of this is on you, right?"

Nico nods. "Still feels shitty, though."

She tries to come up with an idea to cheer her up. "You wanna go dancing tonight? I know you enjoyed it last night, don't even try to deny it."

Nico smiles back at her. "I'd like that. Let's bring some chocolate chip cookies to our room after dinner, so we can eat them while watching whatever corny rom-com you choose."

"Hey," Karolina nudges her, "how do you know it's gonna be a rom-com? I could very well go for a horror movie."

"Karrie, sweetheart, have you ever met yourself?" She jokes. "Fine, tell me what movie you had in mind."

"The Holiday." Karolina pouts. "But I might change my mind now."

"Stop, I know you love that movie. I'd be happy to watch it."

"Don't do me any favors."

They continue joking and teasing each other for hours until they decide it's finally time to go get ready for dinner.

 

❄ ❄ ❄

 

Dancing turns out being a great idea as Nico really seems to be enjoying herself and even agrees to go get drinks with Alex and Liz afterwards. 

"We should do this more often." Liz suggests as they're walking back to their rooms, all of them visibly tipsy.

Nico laughs. "We don't have to do the thing." Karolina stiffens.

"What thing?" Liz asks.

"The friends thing. I'm cool with you guys but we're only hanging out because we're stuck here. Come Monday, everything will go back to normal. Minus the awkwardness."

Right, Karolina thinks to herself. She knows that's not what she's referring to, but still. She feels her heart ache from the loss of something that was never truly hers to begin with.

Liz smiles. "I know. But we don't have to be not-friends either, do we?"

And with that they part ways, Nico and Karolina already entering their room.

Nico suddenly shifts, turning around. "Shit, I forgot the cookies. You put on the movie and I'll be right back."

Karolina nods. She did always have a sweet tooth.

By the time Nico cheerfully comes back, she finds Karolina on their bed, sobbing, The Holiday playing in the background.

"Hey! What's wrong, what happened?!" She hugs her friend from behind, voice filled with worry.

"It's my mom. My dad called, said she had an accident. She's at the hospital right now." She responds, shaking. 

"Oh, no. Do you want us to go back? I'll talk to my parents right away!"

Karolina stops her. "No, Nico, wait. My dad said it's just a broken wrist, she should be fine. Besides, she's in New York with Jonah and there are no flights available until Monday, holiday season and all. There isn't much we can do. I'm just worried, that's all."

She takes a deep breath and Nico holds her tighter. "You don't have to go through this alone."

"I know. Thank you."

They hold each other a little longer until Karolina calms down a bit and Nico offers to make them hot chocolate (it makes everything better) and to restart the movie, since they obviously weren't paying any attention.

They settle back into bed and slowly fall asleep next to each other, Nico whispering words of comfort in Karolina's ear, gently wiping away her tears and spooning her for the second night in a row.


	4. sunday.

Sunday morning comes all too soon and Karolina can't help but lament how quickly their vacation is coming to an end. Not to mention she's going to have to go back to being _just friends_ with the girl she's head over heels in love with. How is she supposed to keep her distance after holding Nico in her arms every night and tasting her lips? This was a bad idea all along. 

It takes all the willpower in the world, but she manages to detangle herself from Nico without waking her up. She decides to call her dad once again, just to make sure her mom is doing okay.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, I talked to her this morning," he assures her, "she's already arranging her own transport home and bossing everyone around. She'll be fine. Enjoy your last day and I'll see you in the evening."

That makes her feel a bit better. An idea suddenly pops into her head.

"Nico? You up?" Karolina shouts.

"I am now."

Her friend doesn't sound too pleased but she doesn't take it to heart. Nico's never been a morning person.

"Did your dad mention something about there being an outdoor ice skating rink nearby?"

"It's hardly a skating rink. More like a frozen lake being used for skating during the tourist season. But yes. It exists." Nico mumbles. "Why?"

"We should go!" Karolina answers enthusiastically. Might as well take advantage of their last day in this paradise.

"Meh, it's bound to be annoyingly crowded, even just from all the guests staying at our hotel. You sure?"

Karolina makes the best puppy dog eyes she can muster. "Please?"

Nico rolls her eyes fondly. "Fine. But we're going solo. No annoying parents, ex-boyfriends, no nada. Just me and you."

She doesn't have to ask twice.

 

❄ ❄ ❄

 

 _Me and you_ turns into _ooh, Robert and I love skating and we haven't had the chance to do so all weekend, we'll stay out of your way, I promise_ and then Alex and Liz overhear it as well and before they know it, the whole squad is having mulled wine and trying on skates.

Once they're on the ice, Karolina takes Nico's hand and they immediately start speeding up, chatting and laughing hand in hand, completely unaware of their surroundings or the passage of time. 

They only stop to take a short break, since Nico needs to retie her laces. 

"We can still pretend it's just the two of us." She might be giving herself away, but in this moment, Karolina finds she doesn't care.

She isn't sure whether Nico's cheeks redden from the cold, or if she's blushing. She looks adorable either way.

"Isn't that what we've been doing?"

Karolina's about to respond, when she feels a kid yell and bump directly into her, messing up her balance. For a moment she thinks she might be able to maintain her composure, but then she feels Nico flailing with her other hand and her left skate grazing Karolina's. Before she can even comprehend what just happened, she finds herself falling directly on the ice, cursing as she pulls Nico down with her, her friend crashing directly onto her chest.

"Ouch."

They lay there for a couple of minutes, staring at each other and trying to catch their breath. Their faces are only a couple of inches away and Karolina finds herself wondering whether her cheekbones have always been so well defined. 

The feel of Nico's breath on her mouth makes her shiver.

She glances at her lips and before she has the time to look up, she feels soft, familiar lips brushing against her own. Karolina makes a surprised noise, but the shock only lasts a moment before she starts catching up, moving her hand from underneath the coat, finding its way to the back of Nico's neck, pulling her head down and tilting it just enough deepen the kiss.

Nico pulls away to look at her and Karolina immediately notices her pupils are big and dark, brown circles barely noticeable. 

A hint of a smile appears on her lips. "I'm not done. You have to make it up to me, for bringing me down with you."

"Whatever you want," Karolina responds breathlessly.

And then they're kissing again, all hot tongues, hands roaming freely, no holding back. Karolina presses soft kisses down Nico's neck as they try to catch their breath once again and her friend moans in approval. 

They stay in that position for a couple more minutes, Nico gently caressing her cheek and Karolina feels like she's in heaven.

"Hey, lovebirds, do you need a hand? Or would you rather stay here, making out all day?" Robert's teasing voice brings her back to reality and both of them help each other get up. 

They decide that's probably enough skating for one day and they join everyone else for a cup of tea, shyly exchanging looks.

"I have to say," Tina starts, "I was quite skeptical when Nico told us about the recent development in your relationship. However, seeing you together like this... I haven't seen my daughter more content in a long time. She doesn't even pick fights with me. And for that I am grateful. To you, Karolina."

Karolina nods, not sure how she's supposed to respond to that. Tonight everything will be over, they'll stop being fake girlfriends and go back to regular friends. Sure, they might have to keep up the facade a little longer, for the sake of everyone else. But once the winter break is over, they're going to have to fake break up and act like nothing happened. 

Except. Something did happen. She looks at Nico. Something changed between them. There's a charge that wasn't there before. Could they ever...? Or is this going to mess up their friendship? 

Karolina puts those thoughts away. Whatever happens, she'll deal with it.

"Nico is my best friend, first and foremost. Seeing her happy makes me happy," she says finally. "And if I can be at least a small part of the reason... that's just a bonus."

She swallows. _Way to go overboard with sappiness and make it weird,_ she thinks to herself, as she continues to sip her tea and avoid making eye contact with Nico.

 

❄ ❄ ❄

 

The ride home is awkward to say the least, with Karolina pretending to be asleep, trying to avoid any meaningful conversation with Nico, who can't seem to keep her eyes off of her.

Finally they arrive at their destination, Robert parks the car outside of Karolina's house and they give the girls a few minutes so Nico can walk her to the door and say goodbye.

"So, that was... fun." Karolina hopes she sounds more convincing than she feels.

"Yeah..."

"I had a great time. Thank you for inviting me. I'm glad you worked out your issues with Alex. And parents are parents, I know they can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but we still have to deal with them."

"Do you think we can see each other tomorrow?" Nico sounds serious all of a sudden. "Have a cup of coffee? There's something I want to talk to you about, and we don't exactly have time right now."

Karolina considers this. She should really put some distance between them, at least for a little while. This weekend was... a lot. But at the same time, she doesn't want to stop seeing Nico.

"I'm not sure. They're transferring my mom here so we can take care of her, and I really want to spend some time with her." She sighs. "I promise I'll text you."

"Okay, yeah, that works. Your mom comes first, of course." She nods.

Karolina's about to say her final goodbyes and open the door, when she feels tiny, and yet surprisingly strong arms around her, pulling her in for a hug. They stay like that, breathing each other in, until they hear someone approaching them from inside of the house.

"It's probably my dad. I should really go."

Nico lets go of her and hesitates for a moment.

"Talk to you tomorrow?"

Karolina gives her a small nod and heads inside to greet her father.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and please consider leaving kudos if you enjoyed it so far!
> 
> I'll love you forever if you head over to tumblr and check out/like/reblog the graphic I made for this fic!


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